The Timie's New Year Celebration
by CharlieBronson
Summary: The Timie's are an organization of time fanatics whose powers reflect their obsession. They gather on December 31, at 12:00 AM in Brocktan Bay to celebrate the New Year in style. However, their "style" usually results in injury and property damage. When some local heroes show up to stop them, shit goes down.
1. Chapter 1

Old Timer shambled over to a nearby building and placed a hand on an exterior pillar. He closed his eyes as confused pedestrians gave him a wide berth. The other timies stood around and waited, Maxwell Keeper checking his pocket watch and tapping his foot nervously. A young couple was walking by the crew, the man breaking away from his woman and approaching Clockfacer.

"Nice costume man." He said. "Kind of weird though. What are you supposed to be?"

Clockfacer stared back, the hands on his face ticking ominously. Suddenly, the man collapsed with a scream that rattled the eardrums and shook the vocal cords. His woman rushed to his side.

"Andrew! Andrew what's wrong!"

Andrew turned to look upon her and, to her horror his once brown eyes were replaced with two images of clocks that ticked in perfect time.

"Oh my God!" She screamed.

Sun Dial burst into manic laughter, bending over and pointing in the direction of the unhappy couple. The woman looked at her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She sobbed.

At that moment, the building receiving Old Timer's attention collapsed, spilling steel, concrete, and glass into the intersection, cutting off traffic and causing quite the commotion. The woman picked her man up by the arms and fled along with the other rabble crowding the chosen ground.

Old Timer returned to the group covered in dust but otherwise unhurt.

"Good job Old Timer." Desmond praised with an easy smile. Old Timer brushed the dust off his sweater and mumbled something about Pearl Harbor.

Desmond's smile grew into a wide grin as he examined the area, clouded in chaos, the air ringing with shouts of panic and pain. Sun Dial wandered into the midst, everywhere she stepped those around her freezing in place. Like photographs they stood mid sprint, looks of terror locked on their faces, their limbs not moving an inch. She grabbed a middle aged Hispanic woman and began twirling her around the pavement in a one sided macabre tango. Around her some stopped to stare while most were too busy running for their lives.

"Why do they run Desmond"? Inquired Maxwell. "Do they not know that this is a joyous occasion?"

Desmond answered. "For some, nay, for most, time is an infinite mystery." Contempt now grew on Desmond's face as he studied the panicked public. " Their pathetic little lives are run entirely by the hands of time, yet they pay it no regard save the occasional glance at their watch. They dwell in the dark, their existence is miserable and they don't even know it."

"Gee Desmond, if only they knew as much about time as you do."

"Yes, if only. Ignorance is a stubborn enemy. Its insidious grip is tight, viselike around the hearts and minds of humanity. To defeat it, you must smash its fingers, pummel it into submission. Half measures must be disregarded. Tonight, Brockton Bay will be made an example of. Soon, the whole world will be dragged into the sweet embrace of Father Time."

"Wow." Maxwell stared wide-eyed at the man before him. Desmond's dissertations never failed to elicit pure excitement from his brother-in-law. Desmond stood amidst the dust of destruction, his ebony cape billowing about his manly figure, his eyes shining with determination, bathed in a cacophony of light from the neon advertisements and the moon itself gazing down in envy. To Maxwell, he looked like the very image of God.

"Well, don't just stand there gawking! Get the briefcase!"

Desmond's anger snapped Maxwell out of his stupor, and he rushed to grab Desmond's case from where it lay several feet in front of him. No sooner had he handed it to Desmond than two figures appeared across the intersection.

"Uh Desmond." Maxwell's voice shook with trepidation. " _They're_ here."

"So they are." Desmond stood facing the new comers, Clockfacer stood beside him mute, still as a statue. Old Timer muttered angrily about Chinese immigrants.

Approaching them were a man and a woman. The man wore power armor over his body and a visor obscuring his face. In his right hand he wielded a halberd, its simple appearance hiding its true nature. The woman was dressed head to toe in camo fatigues. A scarf styled after the American flag was wrapped around her lower face and above her eyes. She held an M9 handgun.

"Awww, the party poopers are here." Sun Dial gave an exaggerated pout. Around her she had amassed a sizeable group of civilians. Ensnared in her circle of time manipulation, some were in the middle of tripping over themselves trying to get away, while others had been arranged into poses that Sun Dial found humorous.

Armsmaster stepped over a fallen traffic light, flashing and spewing sparks. His jaw was set hard, his mouth tight in anticipation of combat or perhaps in contempt of the criminals he regarded. Although not covered by armor, his lower face looked hard as stone.

"Sun Dial." When he spoke, his voice was gravelly and dark like storm clouds. Sun Dial spat.

"Armgrasper!" Desmond returned the hero's greeting in a friendlier manner. "And you must be… don't tell me… G.I. Jane!"

Miss Militia didn't respond. Her eyes were calm and calculating, the gun by her side remained still, like a viper coiled to strike.

"I assume you're here to witness history. Sadly it appears the common folk don't have the stomach for it."

"You are all under arrest." Miss Militia's intonation was no less confident than Armsmaster's. She continued: "For destruction of public property, public endangerment, defacement of U.S. currency, littering on a mass scale, multiple counts of assault with a parahuman ability, and multiple counts of domestic terrorism."

"Trumped up charges! This is a kangaroo court! I have rights!" Sun Dial shrieked from the top of a young man's shoulders where she sat perched like a child.

Desmond took up the defense. "These charges speak nothing of the intention behind them. I assure you, we are not bad people."

Miss Militia fired back. " Just last month you trapped Gallant in a twenty-four hour time loop!"

"I was merely teaching him a lesson in appreciating the flow of time. He should consider himself blessed!"

"He was trapped for three years! He's currently receiving therapy to get over the trauma!"

" The Groundhog Day Ray is one of my greatest inventions! Some simply do not posses the constitution to face the wonderful power of time."

Armsmaster spoke up. " Enough!" He slammed the end of his halberd on the ground. "Are you going to come quietly?" The anger in his voice made it seem that he secretly hoped Desmond would resist.

Silence overcame the streets where they stood. Maxwell was watching the exchange, sweating profusely, fondling his pocket watch like a good luck charm. Clockfacer stood still as a corpse, even his lungs were at rest, as he did not need to breathe. Old Timer adjusted his grip on his cane and coughed. Sun Dial reached down to the man on whom she sat, pulling his face into weird expressions. Her eyes darting back and forth between Desmond and his opponents the crazed smile never left her face.

Finally Desmond shattered the silence. "Of course I will come quietly, _after_ I finish this New Years celebration. And it is in your best interest to allow me to do so." He held up the briefcase. "The contents of this case are unlike anything you've ever seen. It is also quite volatile, if handled improperly it is liable to take the life of every sorry excuse for a human that inhabits this fair city."

Miss Militia raised her gun. "Put that case down and surrender."

Desmond stepped quickly into Sun Dial's area of time manipulation, rendering him essentially invincible. "I'm surprised you would threaten violence in the face of so many hostages." He caressed the cheek of a young girl, eyes wide in fear and confusion, the last emotions she felt before her existence was taken prisoner by time itself. "To me they are nothing. But to you…" He shrugged. "Even dumb beasts have an urge to protect their own species." Sun Dial cackled and Maxwell chuckled nervously.

Desmond set the case down and knelt before it. "But fear not." His voice cascaded through the buildings and throughways like a preacher enabled by a higher power. He continued. " Tonight you will all be saved from your miserable lives of inferiority!" With that, Desmond opened the case.


	2. Chapter 2

No sooner had Desmond opened the case than Sun Dial collapsed with a shriek. For a second her time circle faltered, and a dozen people screamed at once. They resumed the actions they were taking before their temporal immobilization, stumbling and panicking. Sun Dial gripped a crossbow bolt lodged in her calf. She groaned in pain.

"You bitch!" She whirled around to see Shadow Stalker perched on a nearby rooftop. She was draped entirely in black and underneath her mask, Sophia was almost certainly grinning in satisfaction.

Armsmaster's halberd transformed into a claw and shot towards Sun Dial, ensnaring her with its metal fingers. He then whipped his halberd to the side and simultaneously released the claw, sending Sun Dial flying and skidding over debris until she came to a rest several yards away. As soon as she did, she was suddenly engulfed by containment foam courtesy of a grenade left by Armsmaster when he grabbed her.

Old Timer and Clockfacer took cover underneath the outcropping of a marquee. They saw three more wards ride in on a hoverboard.

"These little dynamos get younger every year." Old Timer mused. "I used to be like them, virile, full of youthful energy and hope. I thought I could change the world. Of course, that was when I fought in Korea. Wartime propaganda during that period-" he stopped when he saw Clockfacer staring at him. "Alright alright I'll get to it. But don't rush me young man!" he stooped and put a hand to the ground, closing his eyes in concentration.

Maxwell was standing in place, frozen by fear. He clutched the pocket watch with white knuckles. Seeing Sun Dial get taken out, he was suddenly spurred to action. "Desmond, be careful!" Maxwell shouted, he rushed towards his brother in law but was intercepted by a laser beam from Kid Win, colliding with Maxwell and sending him into spasms on the ground.

"Direct hit! Nice one Kid." Clockblocker gave the young tinker a high five from the back of Kid Win's hover board. Vista stood next to him, and while her visor hid her eye roll at Dennis's shenanigans, her smile was evidence that she was having just as much fun as the boys. Kid Win took the hover board low enough for Clockblocker and Vista to hop off, then returned to a higher altitude and surveyed the field.

Desmond took no notice of Maxwell's plight. Instead, he fixed Armsmaster with an angry glare.

"You could have at least allowed me to explain the purpose of my device." He snarled. Armsmaster gave the faintest of satisfied smiles and Miss Militia, now holding a rifle, leveled it at Desmond's chest. She was probably using non-lethal ammo, but Desmond didn't intend to get hit either way. He hit a switch on his utility belt and felt the time around him shift, the fundamental laws of the universe bending to his will. He dodged a rubber bullet sent from Miss Militia's rifle and watched it sail over his head. He immediately stepped away from where he had been, and dodged a bolt from Shadow Stalker's crossbow, aimed at his upper thigh. Thinking fast, Desmond threw a device away from the fight, where it remained resting on the pavement. He raised his right arm and from his wristwatch sent a minuscule machine at Armsmaster. It stuck to the side of his torso, seemingly unnoticed.

 _I suppose adjusting vision settings for time manipulation isn't built into Armsmaster's helmet._ Desmond chuckled to himself. _I have to hand it to him though, the man has gumption. If only he wasn't stubbornly stuck in the existential gutter he might actually be an admirable colleague._

Miss Militia was taking evasive maneuvers and Armsmaster was closing the distance on foot, but they were too slow. In fact, everything was. The switch Desmond had activated allowed him to move faster in relation to the time around him, trapping his opponents in a temporal bog while he remained as agile as ever.

 _I knew that Pilates class would pay off._ Desmond thought to himself as he leapt over another one of Shadow Stalker's bolts. He aimed his wrist at Miss Militia and hit her with a blast of electricity. She lost muscle control and collapsed. The ground Armsmaster was standing on suddenly found itself unable to support the man's weight, and it caved in underneath him. Desmond noted it as a result of Old Timer's ability, vastly increasing the passage of time in regard to certain objects or areas, in this case, the cement underneath Armsmaster had faced centuries of erosion in mere minutes. Desmond turned off the switch on his utility belt. He didn't want the energy to be depleted too quickly. _Where is Clockfacer?_ Desmond wondered. _If he's using his power then these heroes should be having manic fits._

Desmond turned and found himself facing Vista and Clockblocker.

"I see you freaks don't take holidays off." Clockblocker bantered.

"You." The word like a venomous beast unfurled from between Desmond's lips as it spat ice-cold hatred toward the time based superhero. "You know nothing child. You desecrate the name of time itself with your actions. You fight alongside baseless heathen in a war against all that is right and just. You make a mockery of the divine gift you were given!"

"I think I've heard enough." Clockblocker said. In an instant , Clockblocker and Vista were directly in front of Desmond, Vista having used her power to shorten the space between them to nothing. Before Desmond could react, Clockblocker bitch slapped him across the face, freezing him in time as he did so.

"And people say I talk too much." Clockblocker said.

Vista glared at Desmond's frozen form. "That was for Gallant."

Clockblocker placed a comforting hand on Vista's shoulder. When Gallant had gone into therapy, Director Piggot had said she didn't know when he would be back. Her tone had betrayed however, that she wasn't very hopeful. Dennis had lost a best friend, the city had lost a valiant defender, but Missy, she _loved_ him. Of course she tried to act strong, but she was only thirteen. It was obvious she was shaken more than anyone else.

"When Gallant gets back we can tell him how we put this asshole in the birdcage." Clockblocker said to Vista. She smiled, and, to Dennis, it seemed the happiness was actually genuine.

Kid Win swooped down to cover Desmond in containment foam, but he was suddenly struck with an explosive projectile. He went crashing to the ground, his hover board scrapped. Clockblocker and Vista turned to the direction of the attack.

Clockfacer stood holding Old Timer's cane, the end of which turned out to be the barrel of a gun. Kid Win cursed himself. _Desmond must have made that. Of course a tinker would have some tricks up their sleeve. I should have known._ Clockfacer fired again but Vista manipulated the area through which the rocket would fly, sending it veering off course. Kid Win produced a small gun from his arsenal. Capable of firing a barrage of non-lethal justice, he aimed it at Clockfacer. Before he could pull the trigger however, the building housing the marque collapsed. This also happened to be the building on which Shadow Stalker was situated. She transformed into her shadow state in order to avoid certain death. The street was once again filled with dust and rubble.

"Is everyone alright?" The commanding voice of Armsmaster reached the wards as he approached them, brushing bits of pavement off his armor. Everyone gave the OK. "Now, where is Clockfacer and –"

"Old Timer!" Miss militia shouted as she pointed towards the old man, moving quite fast for a person his age, in the direction of the containment foam that housed Sun Dial. Armsmaster raised his halberd, Miss Militia aimed her rifle, and Kid Win leveled his laser gun. Vista began increasing the distance from Old Timer to Sun Dial but before anyone could fire on him the device that Desmond had placed on the ground earlier activated.

Instantly, all the heroes were swept off their feet. Armsmaster dug his halberd into the ground and resisted for a moment, but even he was taken and flung backward with amazing force toward the device. Everyone being pulled toward the same point, they collided with each other, Miss Militia bouncing painfully off of Armsmaster's armor. Clockfacer and Old Timer were free of the device's range, and Old Timer was nearing Sun Dial.

Maxwell Keeper wanted to cry. They had been defeated. Desmond and Clockfacer were in cuffs, Old Timer was having an asthma attack, and Sun Dial was still buried under layers of containment foam.

"Surrender now." Armsmaster's voice was steely and merciless. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Miss Militia, who held her standard handgun at her side. She was relaxed, not expecting resistance.

Maxwell's expensive vest and slacks were ruined, his dress shoes were scuffed to all hell. And worst of all, his prized golden pocket watch was cracked. As he looked down at it, the tears that had been forming finally fell down his face, leaving tracks of soft white among the dirt and grime that clung to his visage. _If only,_ he thought, _If only Shadow Girl hadn't snuck up at the end. It was all going so brilliantly, just the way Desmond planned it._

"I wont ask again." Armsmaster produced a pair of cuffs and moved toward Maxwell. Maxwell scrambled backward, panicked, on the verge of begging. Then he remembered something. "This pocket watch," Desmond had said, "Is more than just a time keeper. If you click the top three times in rapid succession…" Of course. How could he be so stupid? Maxwell now knew what he had to do. He clicked the pocket watch three times just as Desmond instructed and suddenly, he was lying on the ground. Only this time there was no scary robot man standing over him. He sat up, and as he did, a building collapsed. He looked around in a daze, and finally reality set in.

 _I've gone back in time! Just like Marvin McFly._ Maxwell was ecstatic, a lifelong dream having been fulfilled. He had the urge to stand up and dance but he remembered he wasn't safe yet. _What would Desmond do?_ He asked himself. He saw Old Timer running toward Sun Dial at the same time the heroes noticed him. Then, Desmond's gravity device went off. The heroes were temporarily incapacitated. All except one.

Shadow Stalker observed her comrades flying through the air. Despite herself, she had to resist the urge to laugh. Did they know how stupid they were, coming into a fight like this with non-lethal weapons? If you aren't prepared to go the distance, then your enemy will be. Sophia knew this all too well. That was why she always carried a few _lethal_ darts with her. She turned toward the old man. If that Sun Dial woman got free, then things would get ugly for them real quick. _It looks like its up to me._ She thought. She grinned as she aimed her crossbow at the pathetic geezer. She hated these time freaks, and she was eager to put some razor sharp bolts in their flesh. Maybe then they would take things a little more seriously.

Before she could fire, she was tackled from behind. She along with her assailant hit the ground hard.

"Not so fast Shadow Shooter!"

 _What the hell?_ She thought. _Where did this guy come from?_

They wrestled on the ground and her assailant threw a punch that connected with her mask.

"Ow!" He reared back, clutching his fist. Shadow Stalker was able to get her feet under his chest and she kicked hard. He went flying off of her and landed on his back with a thud. Shadow Stalker rose up and aimed her crossbow at his face. The other heroes were still dealing with that gravity bomb. She could definitely claim self-defense. Sadistic glee overtook her expression as she stared down at the terrified man before her.

"Goodnight motherfu-"

Before she could finish her taunt, she was struck with a bolt of pure electricity. She fell, her crossbow clattering to the ground. She screamed and writhed, every muscle in her body firing in random patterns.

"It takes a certain charisma to pull off a black cape. And if you ask me, you're trying a little too hard darling." Desmond Longo strutted toward the two, his own cape flowing behind him.

"Desmond!" Maxwell leapt up and embraced his greatest idol and best friend. "I knew you were alright! I knew you wouldn't let them beat you!"

"That's enough touching please." Desmond said bluntly.

"I'm sorry." Maxwell backed off, but he still couldn't contain his grin.

Just then, Sun Dial and Old Timer entered the scene. Sun Dial's dark hair was even more manic than usual. Her pure white gown was torn in places, revealing the tattooed skin underneath, marred by scrapes and bruises. Pieces of extremely old containment foam clung stubbornly to her body. She was walking with a limp, and her left calve was red with dried blood.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" She cackled, but there was no humor in it. "Is this the cunt that put an arrow in my leg?" her furious tone said she already knew the answer. She loomed over Shadow Stalker. "Don't you worry child. I'm going to pay you back for what you did to me. With interest." Sophia was done spasming, but she still couldn't control her muscles. As much as she tried to resist the feeling, unadulterated fear was welling up in her gut.

"Desmond look!" Maxwell pointed at the heroes. They had dealt with the gravity bomb and were regrouping.

"Oh, right, the misguided crusaders." Desmond pushed a button on his belt and slowly but surely the heroes began clutching at their heads and falling to their knees.

"What did you do to them?" Asked Maxwell.

"Not me Maxwell, Clockfacer." Desmond indicated Clockfacer, who was approaching the group. I figured the reason none of the heroes were feeling the effects of Clockfacer's psychological power was because of some interference by Armsmaster. Earlier, I placed a small EMP device on Armsmaster's person. This was intended to interfere with his technology enough to give us the upper hand. Now that its been activated, our heroic friends should be on what acid heads commonly refer to as, a very bad trip.

"You're a genius Desmond!"

"Dear Maxwell, anything is possible with time on your side."

"Now listen here sonny." Old Timer spoke up. "A wise man knows when to stay and fight, and when to retreat. If there's one thing I learned in Vietnam-"

"I agree Old Timer." Desmond interrupted. "Even if our original plans were thwarted, I'd happily count this as a successful New Years celebration. Let us take our leave."

The Timies gathered in Maxwell's apartment. They sat slumped on various items of furniture exhausted after their battle. They all held glasses of brandy, except for Clockfacer, who didn't have a mouth. Desmond rose.

"I'd like to give a toast. To Maxwell, the most invaluable element of our fellowship, and the reason we're not currently on our way to the birdcage. To Maxwell."

"Fuck yeah!" shrieked Sun Dial.

"Down with the commies!" Shouted Old Timer.

Maxwell was overjoyed. He would remember this as the best night of his life.

"Seeing as he is being honored, I'd say its appropriate to let Maxwell choose the post celebration activity."

Everyone agreed. After seconds of deliberation, Maxwell settled on watching the first back to the future movie. Desmond sat back down. "Maxwell, be a pal and fetch the bottle of brandy."

Maxwell complied with eager obedience, walking to the kitchen. On the way he passed Shadow Stalker, who was bound to an armchair with cords and electrical tape. She was gagged similarly, with electrical cords run through her mouth and sealed with tape.

"Are you excited for the movie?" Maxwell's question was genuine; he seemed to have already forgotten that she tried to murder him.

She grunted in anger and confusion. She was still feeling the effects of Clockfacer's power. Visions of clocks ambled before her eyes and deep in her eardrums rang the steady cosmic sound of some ancient timepiece, a presence invisible yet so essential that its threads ran throughout all things seen and unseen.

 _What the fuck did that clock guy do to my head?_ She thought.

Maxwell, of course, was oblivious to all this. "You're in for a real treat." He said, slapping her cordially on the back and earning a glare.

As Maxwell returned with the brandy Desmond thanked him. The movie began to play and as Maxwell looked around he had but one thought.

 _New Years doesn't get much better than this._


End file.
